17-year-old youth shot by police after he attacks scheduled caste youth, sub-inspector

A 17-year-old teen was shot at and injured, by police at Paappaakudi in Tirunelveli, early on Tuesday (July 29, 2025), after he and his associate attacked a Dalit youth with a machete and attempted to attack the police personnel who tried to arrest them.

According to police, two 17-year-old boys from Paappaakudi in the district, both belonging to most backward community and already facing a few cases, attacked Sakthi, 22, of Rastha near Paappakudi, with a machete around 1.30 a.m. He was injured in the attack.

Paappaakudi police, led by Sub-Inspector Murugan, rushed to the spot.

As the boys, carrying machetes, chased the police also, they scurried away for safety. Mr. Murugan entered a house nearby. The dwellers of the house locked the main door once the police officer entered.

“The armed teens who followed Mr. Murugan landed multiple blows on the door with machetes. However, the Sub-Inspector of Police opened fire at one of the attackers, who was injured in the hip. On seeing his associate fall, the other fled the spot,” police said.

The injured has been admitted to the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital.

A few villagers said the problem started after a minor scuffle broke-out between two caste groups who left the spot after the police entered the village. “However, the two teens, carrying arms, tried to attack the police, which led to the firing,” the villagers said.

The Paappaakudi police are on the hunt to nab the teen who escaped.